demolition imminent for historic post-fire 1874 row house faced with "athens marble"

this post concerns an entire city block, containing a collection of historically significant post-fire "athens marble" italianate style rowhouses. each has witnessed fires, neglect, utter abandonment, and demolition since the houses were completed in 1874. in these rather depressing "ruins," i could only catch a glimpse of the street's former self.

the present day block is pocked with vacant lots that have succumbed to nature, as well as newly built "award-winning" houses whose distasteful stylistic elements are completely out of context, lacking any sense of unity or cohesion with its neighboring historic structures. still, i must admit the rowhouses are somewhat disfigured in their own right. some have been severed from one another, leaving exposed party walls containing the outlines where fireplaces and staircases were once located. in other cases, the original limestone stoops have been cemented over or altogether removed, and cornices hacked off or obscured by ugly aluminum siding. even the precious cream-colored joliet limestone has splintered, crumbled, and in some cases, fallen to the ground.

the list of damages could go on and on, but after walking around the block and through the alley, i had seen enough. and yet the worst was yet to come. i was there to salvage the interior (and later, the exterior) of one of the few remaining rowhouses. it was sandwiched between two structures, with one joined at the wall by an original counterpart and the other - an obnoxious, newly-built home, much like an uninvited guest that will not be leaving anytime soon.

when i walked through the vestibule doors i was immediately transported into the past; the majority of the interior elements were original and intact from the time they were put there in 1874. the long and narrow doors with deeply recessed panels surrounded by multi-part protruding molding, the marble fireplace with incised floral motifs, the intricate cast plaster ceiling medallions where gasoliers once hung, and of course, the splendid staircase with octagonal-shaped walnut wood newel post, multi-faceted spindles and winding handrail. all of it was there and, although it had been painted time and again over the last century, it still looked as it would have if a guest entered the house in the 1870's.

i spent the entire afternoon carefully dismantling each and every interior design element, and documenting the process via the usual highly methodical approach so many have come to appreciate. i looked carefully for lost or forgotten artifacts (e.g., correspondences, invites, photos, business cards, marbles, coins) that would connect me to the occupants who called this place home. as of this writing, nothing has been found, but there is much more work to be done before demolition begins later this month. this too, will give me time to research the rowhouses on this block and hopefully piece together a more richly detailed and meaningful narrative that sheds light on this home and the surrounding neighborhood.

until then, these houses - with their distinctive italianate design elements, deeply incised into the visually pleasing joliet limestone facades, and topped off with highly stylized bracketed wood cornices running from one building to the next - stand as a mysterious, beautiful, and a fast-fading testament to an era deep in the recesses of chicago's past.

late 19th or early 20th century photographic image depicting a joilet limestone quarry.

salvaged section of deeply incised "athens marble" or joliet limestone acquired by a neighbor who salvaged it during demolition of the row house to the south of the one facing demolition.

19th century lithograph depicting a joliet limestone quarry.

update as of 5-9-2017: the 1874 "athens marble" rowhouse has been demolished as evidenced in this image taken on 5-7-2017. sadly i wasn't around to document the structure's death, nor salvage any of the historically important joilet limestone that is rapidly disappearing from chicago's cityscape.